A few weeks ago, I was watching some reruns of Derry Girls with a good friend when she made the following remark: “I love the dad in this, he’s hilarious. Do you know if he’s been in anything else?” To be fair, we had just watched Season 3, Episode 2, “The Affair” which featured a memorable Spice Girls routine from the lead quintet and a masterclass in playing the straight man by “Da” Gerry Quinn, played to perfection by none other than Tommy Tiernan.

With that in mind, a normal person might have said something like, “I’m not sure, let me check on IMDb.” My response, however, went something like this: “That’s Tommy Tiernan, y’know, Tommy Tiernan” (because repeating it louder helps!). “Literal 90s stand-up royalty! He came up alongside the likes of Ed Byrne, Andrew Maxwell, and Dylan Moran. How do you not know who he is?”

This somewhat unnecessary mini-rant was followed by a quick search online to see if he was on tour. It turned out he was playing Soho Theatre soon, and a couple of WhatsApps later, we had two more friends joining us and tickets to the show.

Fast forward to the present day: we had overindulged on pizza pies from Japes (those things are seriously filling!) and were back in the Soho Theatre bar picking up our drinks. For the first time in a long while, I was both nervous and excited as we headed into the venue—I had hyped this clown up a lot. Could he possibly live up to my expectations? As the show began, I quickly got my answer: no… he was even better.

Tommy Tiernan appeared on stage without fanfare or introduction. He was somehow dressed both smartly and yet slightly dishevelled. He had the air of the perfect pub storyteller about him, and he was very much here to entertain.

The show kicked off with an insight into the career of Bob Dylan, which was somehow equal parts mocking and adulation, before quickly shifting into storytelling from our clown’s many adventures and encounters. This was sparkling observational comedy, with a variety of accents and actions perfectly utilised to enhance his tales.

Routines that could be considered controversial simply require a closer listen to determine who the joke is actually aimed at. Tiernan doesn’t punch down; he relies far more on his ability to craft a routine than on simple crowd work or lazy insults, though you know he has both firmly in his bag if needed.

This was a truly incredible show, featuring everything from Shakespeare to ceremonially shaved priests, performed by one of those clowns who broke out in the mid-90s and, through sheer talent, still stands proudly atop the comedy mountain.

Tommy Tiernan is touring London, Dublin, and the US throughout 2024. More information is available on his website, and if you can get tickets, we cannot recommend this show highly enough.

Clown Stars: * * * * *

@Soho Theatre, London